Spotting one of these numbers on a restaurant bill or clock could earn you applause in Germany – and maybe a free schnapps. It can also help birthdays go with a bang.
Some topics are best handled with care. This handy German phrase lets you acknowledge sensitive subjects, signal discomfort and steer conversations away from places better left untouched.
As one season slips into the next and headlines change faster than teenage moods, here's a German word worth knowing when things don't feel fixed, final or quite as permanent as promised.
Have you ever spotted a life-sized straw doll in old clothes, dangling slightly drunkenly above the entrance to a bar in Germany? If so, this word won’t be altogether new to you.
To really understand this word you have to picture a family-run workshop in an unglamorous town – unassuming but innovative, and the quiet engine of Europe's largest economy.
With the cold season upon us – in more ways than one – here’s a word that will help you get the sympathy you truly deserve if you’re struck down by a seasonal virus.
This technical term has been named Germany's 'non-word' or 'ugliest word' of the year for 2025, with judges saying the way politicians use it is misleading.
With Storm Elli causing chaos across Germany, you only have to look outside to understand one meaning of this word – but it’s also useful in a surprising variety of different situations.
There are plenty of practical reasons to learn German. Today's word isn't interested in being sensible, though. Instead, it's all about remembering how much fun it is to just kick back and talk nonsense.
People just starting to learn German will probably say 'Ich gehe' or 'Ich muss los', while more experienced speakers may well have this more flexible option up their sleeve.
As Germany's chancellor prepares for his first visit to the White House, here's a word which sums up what can go wrong when an English speaker and a German speaker attempt to find common ground.
